Team effort to tackle marathon course

When Helen Copeland woke up dazed and confused on the ledge of a mountain with two broken legs, the last thing she could have done was run a marathon weeks later.

The 46-year-old physio, from York, had been due to run the gruelling city course during the 2013 Yorkshire Marathon, but a 20ft fall in the Peak District last August dashed her dreams.

Brave Helen was able to complete it in an arm powered racing wheelchair, and now plans to take part this year alongside friends from Charter House Recruitment in the Northern Gas Networks Yorkshire Marathon Corporate Relay on October 12.

She said: "It's been awful. I fell 20ft and landed on a ledge on the way down.

"I was training for the marathon last year, and was probably going to do it under three hours 45 minutes, but I had the accident in August.

"I'm still trying to work on getting as fit as possible, but I can't run long distance again because of arthritis in my ankles."

The event is part of the sold-out Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon, and is open to sports clubs, families and groups of friends.

Teams of six will run legs of the course between three and six miles until they have completed the 26.2mile course.

Mrs Copeland was invited to run by Sarah Woods, 44, her friend from the recruitment firm.

Mrs Woods, a veteran of two Great North Runs, added: "I first started running about four years ago when one of my candidates died at the age of 19 from a diabetic condition.

"I did think about him when I was running, and once I started I wanted to keep going and do more."

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Team member Jonathan Spooner, 37, from Heslington, added: "We are going to do this for three charities, which we haven't decided on yet, but it's good for us to do some exercise when we are sat at a desk all day."

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